The Stories that Matter
by gottalovett
Summary: Eleven mistakes our favourite Spook for Amy Pond in his post regeneration state leading to a series of unexpected encounters. Will Ruth choose to run with The Doctor in the end?
1. I said five minutes

_This fic was began just before I saw 10.1 and now I know how it all ends what better than continue this fic where The Doctor crashlands into Ruth's life? Because we all know that with The Doctor somedays are special, some days are so, so blessed... _

_Each chapter will deal with Ruth from a different series. Some in order, some not and her brief encounters with Eleven until... well read to find out ;)_

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><p>Ruth had just got a new job. Spies. How exciting! Well- actually she was a double agent she supposed. She'd had to make sacrifices to get out of GCHQ. Anyway, here she was, first week of her new job, wandering aimlessly around London because she had no friends in these parts. She'd thought about crashing Tom's house but he'd mentioned a girlfriend- a Doctor or something she thought he'd said. Sounded like a short term rebound if you asked her (not that anyone did).<p>

None of the others seemed like they'd listen to her thoughts on history and philosophy and all the rest of her embarrassing ramblings. Well- maybe Harry Pearce would have but he was her boss and therefore out of her league. _Get out of it Ruth. He's years older than you._She felt herself blushing amongst the tourists at Trafalgar Square. She'd just come out of The National Gallery. She'd had a wild urge to take a look at some of Vincent's colourful paintings. She wasn't quite sure why.

She started to walk down the road towards Westminster. There was a park next to parliament and she had a book to read for her online reading group in two weeks time. She was going to sit outside under a tree somewhere while it was still warm enough to do so.

The breeze was cool on her face and for a second she stopped reading _Jane Eyre_and lay back, staring at the spires of Westminster. It was getting darker now anyway she supposed. If she kept reading she would strain her eyes.

At first she thought she was imagining things. She could see a big, blue object above the Big Ben spire. She rubbed her eyes, opened them again. She'd been reading far longer than she should have been if she was starting to imagine flying saucers in the sky.

A whirring noise was getting louder and the blue box was spinning faster and faster till it was just a vague blue shape melding with the afternoon sky. But the whirring was buzzing in her ears now and she could scarcely hear anything at all. She couldn't take her eyes away from the object.

It landed in front of her on the grass and she stood up hurriedly, prepared to run all the way back to Thames House. _This was her job wasn't it?_But something stopped her from moving. There was a golden glow coming from the doors and she couldn't help but notice it was very beautiful. The doors themselves were painted dark blue and 'police box' was written across the left door.

Her mouth was hanging open as a young man with raggedy hair, green eyes and a cheeky grin stepped out of the box. His clothes were ripped and his joggers stood out as being surprisingly white.  
>"Sorry about that Amelia," he said before she could ask anything herself. "The TARDIS has a mind of her own. Took me round three solar systems and back before I could get her back under control... ooohh the garden's changed a lot since I was here last. Humans! Amazing creatures! You know... I never..." He peered at her closely. "Hmm must have underestimated the time difference. How many years is it then?" She noticed he was looking rather guilty.<p>

"I'm... not Amelia," Ruth managed to get out and interrupt the incessant flow. "It's Ruth."

"Ahh Ruth? Not Amelia. Obvious really. No red hair. I like red hair. Red hair is cool. Anyway, I'm The Doctor. Lovely to meet you. Can't stay and chat. Where's Amelia Pond?"

"Amelia Pond? Never heard of her."

"But this is her garden, her house and I promised. I promised I'd be five minutes."

"Look here... just who are you?"

He grinned like it was the best question in the world. "I'm The Doctor."

She frowned. "Yes you said that. A Doctor? In a blue police box that flies above Westminster? What section of security are you in then?"

"Ohhh Ruth! It's always secrecy and weapons and violence with you lot isn't it. That's why I like children. It's the children who are innocent. I needed innocence. Been by myself for awhile. Started going a bit mad with only the TARDIS for company. Though I suppose she is sexy... don't you think my TARDIS is sexy Ruth?"

"Um..."

"Right yes. Well never mind that now. I need to find Amelia Pond and OH... you just said I was flying over Westminster. Why would you say that Ruth? Why would a smart, intelligent woman like you say that...because... because I'm in a parallel universe. New rules, new coordinates. No, no, I would sense the difference in the air. Maybe its wrong time period. Yes. Could be that I suppose. NO, NO, NO, not the wrong time period. I promised her five minutes." He was standing opposite Ruth now. He looked her up and down, his whole ungainly body moving up and down too as he peered into her eyes. She was too busy processing the 'smart woman' part of his diatribe to even register what exactly he was doing.

The Doctor tapped her playfully on the nose. "Oh very funny, very, very funny Ruth. I missed didn't I? I missed her house. Wrong coordinates." He nodded sagely. "Hmm yes that must be it Ruth. Well nice to meet you, sorry to bother you and all. Must be off. Planets and people to save. Never a day's rest and all that and I have a date with Amelia Pond."

Ruth was blinking confusedly but she comprehended enough to know he was leaving. She grabbed him by the shoulder. "Wait? What are you talking about? Planets? And just who is Amelia Pond? What do you want with her? You leave her alone!" He was a nutter. A complete and utter nutter!

He stared at her properly for the first time. "Just who are you Ruth? I said you were more intelligent than the average human and I was right."

"Ruth Evershed. Company analyst," she lied smoothly.

He laughed. "Sure you are... if you say so. Mum's the word and all that."

She glared at him. "So... you can fly that... thing."

"Ohhh did you hear that Sexy? This one called you Thing. _Thing._" He shook his head sorrowfully.

"Well what is it then?"

"Come on Ruth... keep up. I just told you. It's my TARDIS. Time and relative dimension in space."

She gasped. "A time machine and a space ship _at the same time._"

"Quick- I said you were quick. Ms Ruth Evershed I like you." He held out his hand. "Well lovely to meet you. Got to be going and all that."

"Will I ever see you again?" She could have kicked herself for sounding so desperate- so childish.

But he just winked. "You never know Ruth. A couple of days from now, a couple of months, a couple of years. There's all of time and space to explore and only me left. Bad day. Lots of mistakes. I'll tell you about it sometime... maybe...one day... in the future." He suddenly turned serious. "But you know Ruth, I like you. Never say never eh? We'll meet again... one day."

With that he ran into the TARDIS as with a click of his fingers the door opened and then shut behind him just as rapidly. The whirring noise started up and the TARDIS flickered in front of her eyes. She brushed one foolish tear away as it vanished.

After ten minutes she began the long walk home, shaking her head at herself. Sometimes she really did let her imagination run away with her that bit too much. Besides she had work to do. There was always work to do when you didn't have a social life.

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed! Please R and R :)<em>


	2. Nobody is crying

_I was going to leave this story as a one shot because I didn't want to deal with spooks anymore after s10 but the truth is, I know this story is unfinished at a one shot and I hate leaving stories unfinished. I know exactly how this one goes and where this one ends. I hope someone out there is still reading and reviews :)_

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><p>He'd had to leave them. He couldn't have kept them on the TARDIS any longer without risking ruining their family. What was left of it anyway. It was all getting very confusing. But as he'd told Amy with a grin on his face, "You haven't seen the last of me." His real friends never did. But he also didn't want to stand over dead bodies, feel more responsibility, and weigh his adventures down with ever increasing guilt.<p>

He was a mad man with a box. The adventures and the danger never stopped. It was who he was. He loved it.

But he needed someone to keep him sane. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Amy that. Humans kept him grounded. Needed saving.

He hadn't thought of Ruth Evershed for a long time but now he set the co-ordinates for London, 2004. Sexy found the right house for him. He wondered what he would say, what would she say? She had been a very bright, _unusual_ young woman and he'd bet Sexy on Ruth being security. She would understand the realness of danger; understand what that danger could do to a person. She would understand the flavour of adventure.

The TARDIS materialised slowly in her street. The Doctor stepped out of her to see an older man knock on Ruth's door; some folders under his arm. The Doctor felt foolish. Of course Ruth would have had a life since he had left her in the park outside Westminster. Of course there were people that cared about her. Not every human needed saving from their own personal hells. Ruth Evershed was the type who would be well adjusted.

He silenced the voice protesting at the back of his mind, telling him he was making decisions too quickly. He turned back and set the TARDIS co-ordinates elsewhere; a new planet, a new reality, somewhere that he had never ever been...

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><p>Malcolm walked in on Ruth watching <em>The Red Shoes<em>. There were furrows about his brow.

She smiled. "It's just a film Malcolm."

"It's...not that. I thought I saw..." Pause. "Never mind."

"What is it Malcolm?"

"I'm getting old, Ruth. I thought I saw a blue police box outside of your house. Trick of the eyes. It's not important anyway. I brought the folders you asked for."

Ruth nodded, taking the files and turning back to the TV. These days she was so dreadfully lonely. The school girl crush on the man in the choir was part of that. It fed her insecurity. She knew that. Malcolm knew that. The best thing about Malcolm was that he didn't judge. He was like the brother she had never really had.

She didn't stop to think about the blue box. Not yet.

"Thank you," she said.

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><p>Malcolm turned away awkwardly and left Ruth by the TV.<p>

He knew that she was damaged. He knew that she was in love with Harry but he wasn't her brother after all. He couldn't tell her what to do. It wasn't his place.

He blinked as he left the house. There was a rippling in the air...

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><p>Ruth sighed with relief when Malcolm left. She wondered what he had been talking about? A blue police box? She drew in an excited breath as a memory stirred. That man by Westminster. It couldn't possibly be him? She had almost convinced herself that it had all been in her head.<p>

She ran to the window. If that man asked her to come away, she would leave now, in a heartbeat. Her only regret would be that she could not say goodbye to her team. No- she was stuck in a rut in London. If that strange man came to her door and asked her, she would travel the stars...

But when she ripped the curtains back there was nothing there at all.


End file.
